Out of Time
by phoenix1800
Summary: KaixRei AU. Rei is in the hospital after the Worlds when he’s suddenly pulled forward...in time. He finds a pillaged world of the future, where friends are no longer friends and are now enemies.
1. Default Chapter

 SEQ CHAPTER \h \r 1I don't own Beyblade or any of the characters, so please don't sue me, kay?

My first real try at an AU fic. Rei is in the hospital after the World Championships when he's suddenly pulled forward...in time. He finds a pillaged world ten years in the future. His friends are no longer his friends, and are literally at war with each other. And, oh yeah. His future self is dead. 

Kai/Rei eventually, Tyson/Max and other pairings to follow.

Out of Time

"Relax, guys!" protested Rei, as his teammates hovered over him in the hospital.  "I'm fine!" "If you were fine you wouldn't be in a hospital," countered Kenny.  "I still can't believe they let you out to catch Tyson's match with Tala," added Max.  "You're in pretty bad shape." 

"Broken ribs, fractured ribs, a ton of cuts and bruises...you're a mess, man," said Tyson, looking at the clipboard next to the bed.  "You shouldn't get up for awhile." 

Rei sighed.  "Yeah, yeah. Aren't you guys late for an interview?" he asked.  "Tyson, Max, and I are," replied Kenny.  "You aren't in condition to, and Kai refused."  Rei turned his gaze to Kai, who was leaning against the wall in his usual stance.  Figures, he thought, shrugging inwardly. Kai isn't exactly a people-person. 

"You three go already," he prodded, turning back to Kenny.  "I'll be fine, don't worry." Max protested, "We don't like leaving you alone, Rei."  Rei smiled reassuringly.  "I'm not. Kai's still here," he replied, as Kai's eyes flickered open and fixed on him.

"Like that's any better," mumbled Tyson.  Kai glared at him.  "I did hear that, you know," he said coolly.  Tyson yelped and backed up.  "Okay, maybe we should go. Come on, guys!" he exclaimed nervously, backing out of the room and taking Max and Kenny with him.  "See you later Rei, bye!"

Rei chuckled as the door shut.  "That was mean," he chided, turning to Kai.  "Did I ever claim to be nice?" replied Kai, arching an eyebrow at him.  Rei flushed slightly. "Well, no, but...," he trailed off.  Wonderful. Now I look like a moron in front of the guy I like.  He'd had a crush on Kai for at least a month, but thankfully he hadn't made a total fool of himself...yet. 

Kai gave him a quizzical look.  "But what?" he inquired.  "Nothing, never mind," said Rei, sighing.  Silence reigned for about a half-hour, until Rei felt a slight twinge in his chest.  "Kai?" he asked at last. 

Kai looked at him from where he had been brooding.  "Kai!" gasped Rei again, as the pain worsened to a whole other degree.  Kai suddenly realized that something was wrong.  "Rei?" he asked, coming over.  Rei clutched the sheets as his breathing sped up and he began to hyperventilate. 

"Rei!" exclaimed Kai, now extremely worried.  Rei's eyes suddenly rolled back and the heart monitor flat-lined.  Kai paled before he ran out into the hallway.  "I need a doctor! He's flat lining!" 

"...Ow...," muttered Rei, groaning as he sat up.  Where the hell was he?  When had he gotten out of the hospital?  He was sitting in an alleyway...a very decrepit one at that.  "Damn injuries," he muttered, wincing as he got up and using a nearby pole as a crutch.  He realized that he was in his normal clothing. 

"What the hell is going on?" he wondered, taking a step out into the street and gaping.  It was a wreck, wherever he was.  The buildings were smashed and crumbling, the sky gray, and the smell of sulfur permeated the area. 

"...I must be dreaming," he mumbled, staring in shock.  He reached in his pocket and sighed in relief as he felt Drigger.  "But if I was dreaming, I wouldn't still be injured," he mused, surveying the area. 

Suddenly the sound of fighting reached his ears, and he hurried as fast as he could to the site.  If there were people there, they could help him figure out where the hell he was. 

He saw two men circling each other.  One was dressed like a soldier, and the other was dressed in plain green and brown.  "You'll die, you rebel filth!" exclaimed the soldier, lunging.  The apparent 'rebel' dodged.  "After you, Biovolt scum!" hissed the rebel. 

Rei froze.  Biovolt? What the hell is happening here?, he wondered, now thoroughly confused.  He saw the rebel get slammed to the ground and the soldier turn with a knife in his hands.  Without any further thought, he ran and tackled the soldier, slamming him into a wall and knocking him unconscious. 

"Oh, smart, Rei," he muttered to himself, as he felt a wound reopen.  "Injure yourself further. Way to go." 

The rebel stirred and jumped up.  He paused as he saw the unconscious soldier and Rei nursing his wounds.  "Who are you?" he demanded.  "I'm Rei...who are you? Why were you fighting that guy?" asked Rei, as the rebel hauled him up.  "Hey, watch it!" he exclaimed. 

The rebel stared at him.  "No...I don't believe it" he breathed.  "You look exactly like him."  Rei paused in his struggle to free himself.  "I look exactly like whom?" he asked, as the rebel began to walk away with him in tow.  "Hey! Let go! Who are you, and where are you taking me!?" he demanded.  Then he felt a slight pressure on his neck and everything went black. 

He woke up to dim lights and cold steel upon his back.  Sitting up, he noted that his wounds had been re-bandaged and that he was actually feeling a lot better.  He assured himself of Drigger's presence before warily getting up. 

"Glad to see you awake...Rei" said a voice.  Rei turned to see a blond-haired, blue-eyed man looking at him.  "Where am I?" he asked.  "You're in the headquarters of the rebel forces," replied the man.  "And that helps...not at all," replied Rei warily. 

"Right, you wouldn't know of the war, would you," mused the man.  "Follow me. My name is X-952, but you can call me E," he said, standing.  Rei sighed.  I'm getting a headache, he thought, following the man. 

They walked around to training facilities and Rei observed all the fighters training.  What's going on?, he wondered.  'E' turned on him and asked, "Do you know what year it is, Rei?" "...2003?" replied Rei, wondering if the man was crazy.  "It's the year 2013, actually," replied E bluntly.  "And we're in the middle of a war." 

Rei felt dizzy for a moment before laughing.  "You're joking...right?" he asked, bracing his hand on the wall for support.  "I don't joke...at least, not anymore," said E, sounding grave and somber before returning to his factual tone. 

"But that's not possible," said Rei, his tone sounding more and more hysterical as he continued.  "I just looked at a calendar yesterday. It's been two days since the World Championships, where Bryan tried to kill me. Tyson, Max and Kenny went to an interview. K–."  E cut him off.  "Don't say his name. It's taboo around here," he said. "Our leader hates it." 

Rei shook his head. "No, no, no. This isn't possible. I'm going to wake up any moment and this is all going to be a horrible dream, and I'm going to laugh."  E slapped him lightly.  "Don't get hysterical," he said patiently, as Rei remembered to breathe and calmed down slightly.  "Time travel is perfectly possible now. Someone must have brought you here, but I don't know why." 

Rei shook his head as they continued walking. "I don't understand...this is too much," he said, leaning against the wall as the dizziness persisted.  "I mean, do you have any proof?" 

E smiled sadly at him. "I have more than enough proof, Rei," he said softly, helping him up.  "Come on. You'll understand better when I take you to the viewing room." Rei just let himself be lead, too upset by this twist of events. 

They entered a dark and eerily quiet room, where there were only a row of chairs and a screen.  E flicked on the lights.  "Access archive files from the year 2003, after the World Championships," he ordered. "Yes, sir," said computerized voice.  Rei jumped slightly upon hearing it. "What...?" he asked, trailing off. 

"The rebel you met recognized you yesterday because you've met him before, when he was younger," said E frankly, as the screen flickered to life.  "Do you remember Steve, of the All Stars?"  "Of course, he and his team came to visit yesterday," said Rei, confused.  "That was him," replied E. 

Rei froze. The rebel had looked oddly familiar..."That was Steve?" he asked. "Yes. You saved his life," replied E.  "But the thing is...you're dead." 

Rei was feeling more and more confused by the moment. "I'm...dead?" he asked. "You died one week after the World Championships in the year 2003," said E gently. "Oh," replied Rei, feeling faint all of a sudden. A week from the Worlds...that was five days from when he had apparently left his time. 

"What happened?" he asked. "The hospital was attacked by terrorists," replied E grimly. "No one survived." Rei flinched. "I'm sorry," said E gently. 

"Sorry?" asked Rei, feeling himself snap. "Sorry? I'm apparently ten years into the future where I don't know anyone and I have no idea what's going on, and oh yeah, I'm dead, and you're sorry?! Well sorry doesn't exactly cut it, okay?! I'm sorry that I took too many painkillers and somehow ended up in this twisted nightmare! That's sorry!" he yelled hysterically. 

"...Are you feeling better now?" asked E. Rei paused in his rant. "Actually, yes," he said, feeling a little calmer. "Alright. Watch and see," said E, as the screen showed film. 

"And today, we are saddened to report the attack of terrorists on a Russian hospital," said the reporter on the screen, showing the hospital Rei was in–or had been in. "The hospital was completely decimated by a bomb that took out the emergency ward. Then the fires spread throughout the rest of the hospital, and it collapsed. We believe that there are no survivors," said the woman somberly. "Among the many patients were...," she continued to list names until she said, "Rei Kon, of the championship-winning Bladebreakers,..." She continued on, but Rei stopped listening.

"Oh," he said faintly, as the screen flickered. "Yeah," replied E, turning the screen off. He also turned off the cameras in the room. "Rei...after you died, the Bladebreakers completely fractured," he said quietly. "A few weeks after Kai–his name isn't to be spoken anywhere here–went off the deep end and rejoined Biovolt. Tyson got angry and vowed revenge on him. The other teams got enslaved or are on the rebel side, or disappeared." 

He paused, heaving a sigh. "The All Stars are on the rebel side. The Majestics and White Tigers are scattered on both sides. The Demolition Boys are, of course, on Biovolt's side. Emily, Robert, Li, and Bryan all disappeared and haven't been seen in months." 

Rei shook his head. "Oh, God," he muttered, imagining his friends now. "What about Kenny and Max?" "Kenny's working in the computer labs here," said E, smiling. "As for Max...I'm not surprised that you haven't recognized him yet...I've changed a lot." 

Rei stared. "...Max?" he asked disbelievingly. E, now revealed as Max, smiled at him sadly. "I followed Tyson to the rebel side, as did Kenny. But Tyson's been consumed with a need for revenge...even I don't know him anymore." Rei studied him for the first time.  Max was wearing brown and green like Steve had, and was a lot taller.  "...You got a hell of a lot more ripped," he said finally.  Max smiled faintly.  "Nearly ten years of fighting does that to you," he replied wistfully.  "You have no idea how good it is to see you...even if it's the sixteen-year-old you." 

Rei smiled at him slightly before asking, "What's with the one letter name and number thing?" Max frowned.  "Biovolt assigned everyone numbers when they took over Russia. But a bunch of us escaped and became the rebel forces. Then...I don't know. I just stopped being Max. That was the name of a happy and carefree fifteen-year old. That wasn't me anymore." 

Rei shook his head.  "This is all unbelievable," he murmured.  "You, Kai, Tyson, Kenny...all the friends we made and the teams we knew...what happened? Why did Kai join Biovolt again, and why did Tyson go all crazy?" 

Max shook his head.  "The thing is, no one knows why Kai joined Biovolt again. We think it had something to do with your death, but we aren't sure. As for Tyson...he and Kai had a fling about three weeks after your death, right before Kai went back. It was a one-night drunken stand, but apparently Tyson had a slight crush on Kai. Nothing big, just teenage stuff. But he thought Kai really liked him back when in reality Kai was drunk and just using him. So he got pissed. That and the fact that Kai rejoined Biovolt a few days later turned whatever residual feelings that were left into rage and a need for vengeance. He had tried...so hard...to get Kai to be one of us. His betrayal just made Tyson flip out." 

He stood. "I'm supposed to take you to him now." Rei shook his head. "I'm not even sure if I want to see him," he said quietly. "The Tyson you described...is nothing like the Tyson I knew." "Nothing's like it used to be," replied Max sadly. "After you died...everything just fell apart." 

Rei chuckled.  "Never knew I was so important," he joked weakly.  "But you were," said Max earnestly.  "Honestly, Rei...you were part of the team to the fullest. You dying...it just killed us all inside. I'm not even sure that it would be the same if anyone else had died. You were my confidant, Kenny's work-moderator, Tyson's older brother, the only one capable of communicating with Kai...you were so much to us that we didn't realize it until you were gone." 

At this point Rei remembered something very important and gasped. "Oh, Max," he said, sympathetic. "You liked Tyson. You had just told me about a week ago. That must've killed you inside."  Max smiled wistfully. "It hurt, a lot. Especially since I know I could've gotten Tyson. His feelings for Kai weren't strong at all, not until that night. He would have at least given me a chance. But I had known...that he had small thing for Kai. So I didn't take the chance." 

Rei hugged him, mindless of the fact that this was a twenty-five year old Max who had been through war.  Right now, it was just *Max*, and that was all that mattered to him.  He pulled away finally and took a deep breath.  "Alright. Let's go see Kenny and Tyson," he said finally. Max nodded. 

"Kenny hasn't changed much. He doesn't scare easy anymore, and he's a lot taller, but that's about it," informed Max, as they walked down the hallways. "Here we are." They had stopped outside a meeting room. 

Max knocked. "Sir, I've brought him to see you and L," he said. "Come in," was the reply. Rei shook his head in disbelief. Max is referring to Tyson as 'sir'?. He followed Max inside. 

A tall brunette with darkened glasses was sitting next to a tall and very muscular blue-haired man. I'm never gonna get used to this, thought Rei, staring. "Kenny? Tyson?" he found himself asking. "His name is L. I'm referred to as T," replied Tyson, standing and scrutinizing him. His eyes, which used to be warm and happy, were as cold as ice. Rei wouldn't be lying if he said he saw a slightly scary gleam in Tyson's eyes. 

"You're sure this is him?" Tyson asked curtly to Max, never taking his eyes off of Rei. "Yes, sir. He has all of his memories and he has Drigger," replied Max. "Good. He can join us in the fight then, assuming he's been informed?" asked Tyson. "I know what's going on," interrupted Rei. "And don't talk about me like I'm not here". 

Tyson let a small smile slip. "Definitely him, what with the attitude," he remarked, before returning to his colder self. "Your designation is R. L, show him to a room." Kenny nodded, getting up. 

They walked outside. As soon as the doors shut Rei found himself in a tight hug from the brunette. "I can't believe you're alive, even if you time-traveled," said Kenny quietly. Rei smiled reassuringly at him before they both heard Max and Tyson talking inside. 

"Sir, shouldn't we find out who brought him here?" asked Max's voice. "It's of no consequence. He's here, he has Drigger, and he can fight. That's all that matters," replied Tyson's voice curtly. "But sir! Having him here could completely destroy the timeline! He needs to go back to his own time!" protested Max. "Maybe now he'll live and K–." He cut off, not saying the name. "E, he will die," said Tyson's voice coldly. "I don't care if you still believe in his inner good. He has none. He'll pay." 

"I don't believe you! All you care about anymore is the fight! They could surrender tomorrow and you'd still keep attacking!" exclaimed Max. "You don't care how many of us die as long as there are more to fight! I don't even know you anymore, *Tyson*! And I don't want to!" There were footsteps. "Where do you think you're going, E?" asked Tyson calmly. "Away from you," hissed Max's voice. "If you leave, you'll be branded a traitor and will be a free target," warned Tyson. "Then so be it. It's better than this," said Max venomously, storming out. 

He paused, seeing Kenny and Rei in the halls. "Sorry you had to hear that...it was nice seeing you, Rei. I hope you get back to your time alright. I...I won't be seeing you again." He began to walk off. 

"Wait!" exclaimed Rei, voice quiet so they didn't attract Tyson's attention. "I'm coming with you. I have to find a way home, and I know I'm not going to find it here." Max paused for a moment before nodding. "I'd come with you guys if I could, but someone has to keep Tyson from killing himself," said Kenny quietly. Rei hugged him, as did Max. "We'll be fine. I've been planning for this day," said Max grimly, before turning to Rei. "Come on. He won't be quiet for long." Rei turned to Kenny. "Be safe," he said sincerely, before heading after Max.  

Max began running as he opened a side panel in the wall and tossed a back pack to Rei. "Keep running, and no matter what don't separate from me," he warned. Rei nodded, putting the pack on and running after Max as they exited the compound.

They had been underground, under an old and decrepit warehouse that probably hadn't even registered as a place to look for rebels. Max headed to a motorcycle and tossed Rei a helmet. "Hop on," he said, before also handing Rei a gun. Rei knew how to use one in his time, and these didn't look much different. "Just in case," said Max grimly, as they sped away. 

"We won't be welcome at the complex anymore. We're traitors," stated the blond, as they sped down the empty streets. "I'm sorry...I'm the reason you left," said Rei quietly. "There was a lot of tension that had been building up. Don't blame yourself," said Max, shaking his head. "It was just the final straw." 

Then the distant sound of gunshots filled the air. "Shit," swore Max, looking at Rei. "I should check it out, but..."  "We can go," said Rei, eyes filling with determination. "Let's move." Max nodded as they turned and headed towards the sound.

Bunches of people dressed normally–or what Rei considered to be normal–were being shoved into a truck by uniformed soldiers. 

Max went for the bold approach. "Oi, you guys!" he yelled, standing in the middle of the street. "Why don't you leave the poor people alone?!" The soldiers recognized him and instantly went on the attack, guns out. Max fired, taking down one. Rei gulped nervously and remained hidden in the shadows, his gun ready. He fired at one who was about to take down Max, hitting the shoulder and taking the guard down. 

"There's another one!" yelled the lead guard, the captain. Rei swore and came out, gun firing and taking out another guard. Three down, seven to go, he thought, as the guards swarmed him. His injuries slowed him down, but he ignored them as he saw Max fire again, taking another guard out.

Unfortunately, Max didn't see the other guard who crept behind him and held a stun gun to his head, knocking him out. Rei felt a knife at his neck and froze as well. 

The head guard observed Max. "Well, well, well. Won't Kai be happy to see that we finally caught Max," he mused. Then he turned to Rei. 

Rei saw the red hair and smirked as he was pushed forwards. "Tala," he said dryly. "Long time, no see. Ten years, in fact." 

Tala took his sunglasses off and observed Rei, blue eyes narrowed. "Kon?" he asked suspiciously. "Hi there," greeted Rei, smirk deepening as Tala's face paled. "That's not possible. You were murdered," he said frankly. 

"Yeah, well. The afterlife was boring, so I decided to come back," said Rei sarcastically, noting Tala's phrasing with suspicion. "You're a real genius. I was brought here from the past." "Still a smart ass," remarked Tala, eyes roving over his body. "You'll change soon enough." 

He turned to the nearest guard. "Get him cleaned up and take him to Kai. He'll be surprised to see him," he ordered, as Rei was shoved into the truck with the rest of the people and Max. The doors were shut and locked, and they sped away. 

"Thank you for trying to save us," said one man quietly, nursing his arm. Rei shook his head, unwrapping his wrist coverings and bandaging the man's arm. "No thanks is necessary. Where are they taking us?" he asked. "To Biovolt headquarters. We'll be given obedience training and then sent to work," said one woman, tears in her eyes. 

"You know General Tala?" questioned another woman. "I knew him a long time ago...when he was beginning to turn good. Then he did a 180 and went back to evil," said Rei, as he propped Max's body up on his shoulder. "I also knew Kai."

"You knew the commander of the Biovolt forces?" questioned the man incredulously. "I did," confirmed Rei, sighing inwardly. If only they knew. 

The truck stopped after about an hour. "Everyone out!" commanded the guard. When Rei pulled Max out, the guard stopped him. "You two are going elsewhere," he said, his gun pointed at Rei. Rei sighed and followed the man through a complex series of doorways and mechanized security checks to a small bedroom. The soldier tossed him a package. "Clean up. Commander Hiwatari will be here in an hour," he said, before turning and walking out. 

Rei heaved a sigh as he dragged Max to the bed.  His friend had gained a lot of muscle mass and was damn heavy.  He opened the package to see black military fatigues, bandages, some soap and a toothbrush.  He had to wonder why he was being treated so well.  Wasn't he the enemy?  He entered the adjoining bathroom and took a shower, thankful for the warm water that washed away all the blood and dirt on him. 

He re-bandaged himself, dressed, and walked into the room, where Max was just waking up.  "Where are we?" asked the blond.  "Biovolt headquarters. Kai's supposed to be arriving any minute now," said Rei, drying his hair. 

Max frowned. "Why did we get the suite?" he asked, motioning to the room.  "Tala recognized me; he was the captain we were fighting," replied Rei. "Hell if I ever knew what was going through his head."  Max chuckled, but abruptly stopped as the door swung open. Rei had just finished tying off his hair when he heard, "Well, well, well...look what we have here." 

Rei gulped and looked at Kai.  He had changed like everyone else seemed to have: taller and a lot more muscular.  His triangles were a deep scarlet that matched his eyes and he was dressed as a soldier.  He was eyeing Max smugly. 

"Long time, no see," he said coldly, echoing Rei's words to Tala. "Not long enough," spat Max, his stance defensive. "What do you want, Kai?" 

"A lot of things," replied Kai, not even taking notice of Rei as he sat casually. "But mainly I want you dead. You cost me a lot of good men, Max."  "Good. You cost me my best friend," said Max harshly. Kai chuckled mockingly. "Do you really think it was all my fault? Tyson should've known what he was getting into with me. I'm not exactly a commitment kind of guy." 

"You used him!" accused Max. "He used you," countered Kai smoothly. "He used your affection towards him to keep you at his side and serving him." Rei had to admit that Kai did have a point, as cruel as it was. 

"You know what? We wouldn't even be having this conversation if Rei was still alive!" exclaimed Max, throwing his hands up. Kai glared at him. "Do *not* mention *that* name in my presence," he hissed. 

"That would be a problem, then," said Rei, drawing attention to himself for the first time, "As we'll have to find me a different name." 

Kai stared at him, and Rei stared back defiantly. This was not the Kai of his time, he figured, so he really had nothing to lose by pissing him off other than his life. Hey, he was going to die in five days anyways. He might as well have his fun while he could. 

"This is impossible. You're dead," stated Kai at last, as they continued to lock gazes. "Yes, I've realized that," said Rei, rolling his eyes. "Obviously, I'm younger than I should be. I was brought forward in time ten years, for some reason. I'm sixteen. Apparently you turned back to Biovolt after I died in a hospital explosion and Tyson went off the deep end 'cause you two slept together and you tossed him away the next day. I've gathered all of this. Moving on, can I please get the hell out of here?" 

Kai just continued to stare, and now Max did too. Rei shrugged. "What, am I supposed to be afraid of 'Commander Hiwatari'? Sorry, no dice. I'm already dead in this time, and hell, I'm slated to die in five days anyways. Added to the fact that I was never afraid of a friend and never will be, and I'm sure it seems like I have a death wish."  Actually, he was fairly sure that he was going insane. 

Kai arched an eyebrow. "Have you not heard about the war?" he asked dryly. "I'm the evil one. Max is the good one."  "Ah, but I'm not from this time," countered Rei. "I haven't actually seen you do anything bad yet. So until you do we're still friends." In reality he just wanted to stay close to Kai. He missed his old friend–well, sort-of friend. Maybe he could find out what made Kai go back to Biovolt. 

"...Your logic is as hard to understand as ever," muttered Kai. Max chuckled at this until he remembered whose company he was in and fell silent. 

Kai was still slightly shocked at seeing Rei. He looked at Max and sighed, deciding that he could spare leniency to an ex-friend. He ignored the fact that in reality he just wanted Rei to not hate him. 

"You'll be joining the soldiers. If you refuse to cooperate you will be killed," he said turning to Max, his demeanor once more becoming cold and impersonal.

Max paused at this. He's showing me leniency...because Rei is here? When he didn't know about Rei's presence he said he would kill me. But I'd better take it. I need to find a way to get Rei home. "If you find a way to get Rei home to his time, I'll serve you," he said at last. 

Rei shook his head. "Don't, Max," he pleaded. He didn't want one of his best friends to give his freedom up for him. Max silenced him with a look. "I want your word that you'll find a way to send Rei home. Then I'll serve you without rebellion," he said firmly. 

Kai debated this before saying, "You have my word." Max shook his head. "Your word means nothing to me. But it does to him," he said, pointing to Rei, who flushed slightly as Kai sighed and looked at him. "I give you my word that you'll be sent home," he said at last. Rei nodded solemnly, accepting it. 

Max stood, and despite his beliefs, saluted Kai, turning as emotionless as Kai himself. "Sir. Where do I report?"  "Three levels down, second door," replied Kai, watching him. Max hugged Rei tightly. "Be safe, and get home," he whispered, as Rei hugged him back. Rei watched, slightly teary-eyed, as Max left. 

"Follow me," said Kai shortly, standing up. Rei nodded quietly and followed him down the halls to a meeting room. Tala was reviewing charts. "So, you saw him," he remarked, not looking up. 

Rei sighed, exasperated. I just want to go home, he thought plaintively, wanting to see his friends to warn them about this. I believe that this really is the future. But if it is, I have to warn the others, and fast. I need to get home. Somehow he knew that he wouldn't be getting home through Kai, either. 

He was led around, then shown back to his room. At night he quietly slipped out of his bed and, using the security pass Kai had given him, slipped out of the Biovolt complex, saying a silent goodbye to both Max and Kai. 

"Where to now?" he wondered, surveying the large expanse of city before him. He heard alarms behind him. "Well, anywhere but here," he muttered at last, leaping into the jeep he had stolen and speeding away. Little did he know that he was being followed.

"We finally found him", reported a shadowy figure, watching Rei speed away in the jeep. "Great. Keep on him. We've got to lead him to us," replied his leader. "Right. Out," replied the figure. "Let's see you outrun this, Rei," he murmured, as he leapt on his motorcycle and sped off after the jeep.

Rei yawned, tired. He needed sleep. Not only had he been going without, but his injuries were acting up. He stopped in a secluded area and turned off the engine, using the entire front seat as his bed, and went to sleep, wanting more than anything to wake up in his time.

Of course, if he woke up in his time this wouldn't be much of a story, right? The final part will be up as soon as my beta-reader gets through with it. Reviews and opinions are appreciated, as always!


	2. Dead or Alive

 SEQ CHAPTER \h \r 1I don't own Beyblade or any of the characters, but I'm sure you knew that.

The second and last part to this little story. I hope you all enjoy it.

Out of  Time

Instead, he woke up to dim lights and steel...again. "That's it. I'm not sleeping anymore," he said plainly, pissed off as he sat up. "Where the hell am I now?" "Welcome to the Underground," said a brunette female, watching him. Rei threw up his hands in exasperation. "What, is that the *other* bad guy? Or another good guy? Please clarify," he said, frustrated. The woman bristled. 

"It's alright, Em. He has the right to be confused. Take him to the main planning room, please," requested a voice over an intercom, startling them both. Rei sighed as the lady...M or whatever letter it was...motioned for him to follow. I give up. Let things happen as they will, he thought, following her out into the hallway. He saw windows and realized that ironically, 'the Underground' was actually above ground. It almost made him laugh. Almost.

"So what, who are you?" he demanded at last, as they stopped in a room filled with computer equipment. "We're the Underground. We are neither rebels, nor do we work for Biovolt. We want peace," said M, looking at him. "We monitor Biovolt and the rebels and try to keep them from having major skirmishes." 

Rei scrutinized her. "…Emily?" he asked at last, shocked. Not 'M'...but 'Em'...as in a nickname, he realized. She smirked slightly at him. "Brilliant, Sherlock," she said dryly. "Be nice, Em," chided a new voice, and not the one Rei had heard over the speakers. "He's not from around here." 

"That's one way to put it," said Rei sarcastically, turning around to see the new guy who appeared. He would recognize his old friend anywhere. "Li," he said simply. "Rei," greeted Li in response. "You both were supposed to have disappeared," said Rei, now confused for what seemed like the umpteenth time in the past few days. 

"They didn't technically 'disappear'. None of us did," said a new male, joining them. Rei tilted his head, vaguely recognizing the accent of the person. "Robert?" he asked at last. Robert nodded.  

"Would someone please explain what the fuck is going on before I go even more insane?" demanded Rei. "That would be fun to see," remarked a voice that Rei would never forget. "Bryan", he hissed, turning to see his rival. Bryan raised an eyebrow. "I'm on the good side now, you don't have to glare," he said. "Well gee, considering the fact that you just put me in the hospital less than two weeks ago in my time, I'm not exactly inclined to hospitality in your case," spat Rei in response. 

"Cool it, all of you," said a new voice, the one that had come over the loudspeakers. "Now what?" whined Rei aloud, turning. He heard a chuckle. "Believe me, you want to see me. Don't you want to know, Rei? Why you were brought here, why the hospital really exploded, why Kai joined Biovolt...aren't you curious? Have you realized that the hospital exploding was no accident?" Rei's eyes narrowed as he remembered what Tala had said. 'You were murdered'. Not killed, but murdered. As in, intentionally. Oh God..., he thought. There was a lot more going on than he realized. 

"S'alright. I had to have Bryan tell me to figure it all out myself," said the voice, as a new male stepped out of the shadows. Holy fuck, thought Rei, staring.

It was himself. Well, an older, taller, more muscular him. Rei scrutinized his elder body with shock, noticing the right eye in particular. The eye appeared normal, but the skin had an X-shaped scar over it. 

"But...I...you..." he began. The other Rei smiled at him. "Hey." "You're dead!" accused Rei. "...Nope," replied his other self casually. Rei paced back and forth. "No, no, no!" he exclaimed. "The one fact that was repeated to me over and over again while I was here was 'you're dead'. Or some variation of it, but that's beside the point. It was the one thing I was counting on! Why am I not dead?!" he demanded, staring at his other self. 

Elder Rei arched an eyebrow. "I really was kinda spastic, huh?" he asked Li. "I didn't want to say anything..." trailed off Li. 

"Stop! Just tell me what's going on!" said Rei, sick of all the stories and lies. 

"I brought you here from your time to mine. I had Li find you…he took you from the jeep and brought you here. Our link with Drigger enabled me to do it on my own" explained the other Rei, motioning for Rei to sit down as he did. "Why?" asked Rei, shaking his head. "Because I needed you to see," replied his other self. "I needed you to see what would happen if you were in the hospital five days later." 

"I was murdered, wasn't I," said Rei quietly. It wasn't a question. Elder Rei nodded. "It was the eve of the fourth night. The doctor had put me on painkillers, and I was sleepy, dazed. Boris...he and some men came in and planted explosives all around the wing. They planted one directly in my room, and he smirked at me before leaving. I thought...I thought it was all a bad dream," he said bluntly. "But then the next morning the hospital exploded." 

"How did you survive, then?" asked Rei. Elder Rei held up a very familiar bit chip. "Drigger. He had just enough power to save me...he couldn't help the others," he said. "Even so, I was badly injured. The room had collapsed before he could teleport me, you see. I washed up on the shore of a river some hundred miles away from the hospital about a week later. When I awoke, an old lady was tending to my wounds...but she couldn't help my legs. I was paralyzed." 

He took a deep breath and exhaled before continuing. "It was temporary, obviously, but I couldn't go anywhere until I had healed, and neither could Drigger. By then the invasion had already started. I left the cabin where the woman had helped me and traveled back. But I was still in no condition to reveal myself. I knew that I had to be able to defend myself. I also needed informants, people who could get me information on both Biovolt and the rebels, who were just beginning to grow in number. I needed to observe before taking action."

Rei nodded in understanding as his other self continued. "So I waited, and I healed. It took five long years for me to walk again, to run. It took another year before I was back in shape. Then I trained for yet another year, doubling any physical attributes and beginning to build a network." 

He glanced at Li. "Li came first. He was working for the rebels, but he wanted peace as well. I found him after a fight tending to a wound...I revealed myself to him and we talked. He became my main spy for the rebels." 

Rei held up his hand. "Can I just ask how you got that scar?" he asked, pointing to his elder self's eye. The elder Rei smirked slightly. "From my fight with Bryan." Rei instantly felt around his own eye. He hadn't actually looked in a mirror since the fight...

"No, not that fight. The second one. Hang on, you'll see," said the elder Rei. Rei gaped at him. Second fight? I'm insane in the future if I went up against Bryan again. 

"Li got Emily onto the scene, and she became my computer genius. She was the one who got all this," Elder Rei motioned to the room and building in general, "Running". 

He continued. "Robert was working for Biovolt unwillingly, and easily joined my side once I found him. Bryan..." He smirked at the lavender-haired one, who glared at him. "Get it over with," said Bryan, sighing. 

"I decided I needed someone who was really *in* Biovolt to the fullest. Who else but my old rival?" asked Elder Rei, smirking. "So I found him and revealed myself–you should've seen his face–and challenged him to a fight. If he won, he got to kill me. If I won, he had to join me." 

Rei smirked. "Obviously we kicked his ass," he said smugly. Elder Rei smirked back. "Of course." Bryan glowered at them both. 

"Anyway," continued Elder Rei, "Bryan brought a ton of useful information...including why Kai rejoined Biovolt". His expression turned serious. "Boris passed the hospital attack off as a terrorist attack, right? That's what everyone thought?" Rei remembered Max and the news clip and nodded. 

Elder Rei shook his head. "Kai thought so too. And who better to give him revenge than Biovolt and Black Dranzer?" he asked rhetorically. Rei blinked. "Wait, revenge? Where did that come in?" he asked. 

"For God's sake, you're as dense as he was...which makes sense, actually," said Bryan, pausing before shaking his head and continuing. "You're missing the motivation in all of this. Kai liked you, moron." 

Rei blanched. "W–What!?" he yelped. "The motivation for revenge," said his elder self. "Kai liked you. You died, apparently by a terrorist attack. Kai goes off the deep end and wants revenge. Who better to give it to him than Boris and Biovolt?" 

Robert continued. "Kai mourns for about a week after your death, then Boris approaches him and twists his thinking, persuades him. But Kai isn't entirely stupid, and so said he would think about it." 

"During this 'thinking' time, he gets drunk, meets Tyson, and in their mourning, they sleep together. Kai leaves the next morning and heads to Biovolt. You know the story from there," said Bryan, shrugging. 

Rei shook his head. "You have your story wrong," he said. "Kai just barely tolerates me. He barely tolerates any of us. The most emotion he's shown towards me is the whole 'friend' bit during my match with Bryan, and even then it was strained." 

"He really is dense," muttered Bryan. Elder Rei rolled his eyes. "Shut up. You only knew because you overheard Boris talking," he retorted. 

"Hey! More important matters at hand here!" said Rei, breaking apart their argument. "What exactly did Bryan overhear?" 

Bryan shrugged. "The whole story," he replied. "Boris wanted Kai back on their side. He knew Kai liked you. He decided that you were an obstacle that had to be taken care of." 

"So he made the hospital explode?! Isn't that just a little overkill!?" asked Rei. "He had to be able to pass the blame onto someone," clarified Bryan. "And he's psychotic. He was willing to kill anyone to get to his goal. In any case, he blew up the hospital hoping to force Kai into coming back to Biovolt. And it worked. Not even the rebel forces know this secret. It's probably the best kept one of the war, besides the fact that you're actually alive and kicking in this time." 

Rei shook his head, still shocked. "You're telling me that my death was the catalyst to a *war*?" he asked incredulously. "You can't be serious!" 

"A little event–no offense to either of you–can sometimes lead to catastrophe," replied Robert simply. 

"So...what do you want me to do about all of this?" asked Rei finally. "I mean, why bring me here?"

"So you can change things," replied his elder self seriously. "Like I said, time travel is possible because we both have the power of Drigger. I used my link with you to pull you forwards to this time so you can stop this war from ever happening." 

"And how would I accomplish that?" asked Rei. "For one thing, don't get blown up," said Li dryly. "Get a guard posted at the door or something, get them to evacuate all the people." 

"Tell Max to tell Tyson how he feels," added Elder Rei. "If Tyson and Max end up together, all the better so Tyson will have someone who truly loves him." 

"And obviously, tell Kai you like him," said Emily at last. Rei blanched. "Erm..." he said hesitantly. 

His older self waved the others away. "I'll handle this, guys. Go inform everyone else of what's been going on." They nodded and left. 

Rei blinked as the Elder Rei turned to him. "He does like you in your time. I can promise you that...but he isn't going to come to you. That isn't the way Kai works, and you know it. Besides, if you don't tell him now, you'll regret it...trust me." His tone changed to wistful at this, and Rei felt sympathy for this other him who had obviously lived a hard life. 

"Believe me, more than anything I wish I could've helped the guys out. But going out and revealing myself when I couldn't even walk and had no clue as to what had been going on...that would have been suicide, and therefore pointless," his other self pointed out, sighing. "Until about two years ago, Boris was in the spotlight, and the most powerful person in Biovolt. Then he became old, and even more senile than he had been. Then Kai was the leader of the movement." 

He sighed, shaking his head. "Even if everything were to work out somehow, everyone is against Kai and everyone at Biovolt, even the ones who were enslaved. But I know...that Kai would be on our side, if I hadn't gotten 'killed'." 

Rei shook his head. "...I never would have wished any of this on any of us," he said, biting his lip. "God...I couldn't even believe half the things I saw. Everyone's changed so much..." 

"War does that to you. I know that you don't particularly like what you see in me," said his older self bluntly. "I'm a lot more ruthless and vicious than I ever was when I was you, and I hate it too. I don't like commanding strong leaders like Li and Robert, but for some reason they look to me for guidance now. I've changed...I can't see you in me anymore." 

Rei thought about this. It was true...he and his future self were a lot different. "I don't like being this way. I would take back the past ten years if I could, but I can't. You can," said Elder Rei seriously. 

"How can you be so sure...that any other future would be better than this?" asked Rei. "It has to be. It's the only hope I really have left," said the other Rei frankly. "Losing all of your friends and having them change to the point of not being able to recognize them...it's the worst feeling in the world. I don't want any of you to have to feel that if I can help it." 

At this point Bryan burst in, tossing a gun to Elder Rei. "We've got a serious confrontation in sector six," he said grimly, as Elder Rei's eyes darkened. "How serious is 'serious'?" he asked. "Kai and Tyson. Max, Kenny are there too...Boris is flying in," said Bryan. "The Demolition Boys, the All-Stars...any of the teams that survived are there." 

"Fuck," muttered Elder Rei, loading his gun. "Looks like the time we've been waiting for is here. At least the truth will be out in the open." 

Rei said urgently, "Let me go ahead of you." Elder Rei paused. "What?!" he and Bryan asked in unison. "Both sides won't hurt me," said Rei fiercely, completely sure. "Kai has a debt to pay and Tyson doesn't hate me and won't risk killing me if I still have Drigger. Let me try to calm them down, then you all come in." 

"You're absolutely insane," said Bryan. "Let him go. He's right," said Elder Rei, tossing Rei a belt with a gun in it. "Just in case. Go with the first transport, now," he said. Rei nodded and took off. 

He arrived at the sight and raced to the large armies facing each other.  He saw the Demolition Boys on Kai's side, and the All Stars on Tyson's.  Mariah standing by Tyson, Kevin by Kai–Gary had passed away of illness a few years ago.  Johnny was on Kai's side, Enrique on Tyson's side, as Oliver had died in a surprise attack. Max was standing at Kai's right, facing Kenny on Tyson's right.

"You really are a traitor to the fullest, E," sneered Tyson, glaring at his once-friend. "My name is Max, and I have a reason for being here," stated Max coldly, glaring at his ex-best friend.

Rei was overcome by a deep sense of sadness at the separation of people who had once been the closest of friends, and gulped nervously as he saw Boris landing and approaching Kai. "Attack!" ordered the old man. "What are you waiting for?" 

Kai remained motionless and silent. Tyson glowered at him. "If you won't fire first, I will," he said coldly, raising his arm for his side to load. 

Rei, without conscious thought, ran in between the lines. "Stop!" he yelled, startling both sides. "Get out of the way, Rei," said Tyson. Kai shook his head. "You shouldn't be here. This is none of your concern," he said. 

Boris stared at him. "Kon? But you're dead!" he accused. "Yeah, I've been hearing that a lot lately," shot back Rei, glaring at him. 

He turned to Kai. "And yes, this does concern me. Both of you are my friends. Can't you see what you've done?" he asked earnestly.  "Look at the teams you've split up, the friends your war has separated. Look at Max and Kenny. They're on opposite sides, and yet once all of you dared to call yourself a team. I know what happened. I know *all* of it. And I don't care. You're all still my friends," he finished.

"He's right. This war is senseless," said Emily softly, appearing next to him. Her old team gaped at her. "There's no point in fighting anymore when there's nothing to fight for," said Robert logically, as he joined them. "Land is free for the taking, resources ample...you have no one to fight for other than yourselves, and you both have all the power you need."  Johnny and Enrique stared at him.

"But...you two disappeared," said Kenny, speaking at last. "How..." 

"We were recruited," said Li simply, as he took his place next to his allies. Mariah and Kevin paled. 

"Not exactly voluntarily, mind you," said Bryan dryly, appearing next to him. Tala and Spencer, the only other Demolition Boys left, looked at him, shocked. 

"By whom?" asked Tyson at last. "By me," said Rei simply, hearing soft footsteps. "Or should I say, me?" finished Elder Rei, as he stood in front of everyone. 

Kai, Tyson, Max, and Kenny all stared in utter disbelief and shock, as Elder Rei observed them all impassively. "Long time, no see," he said calmly. 

"But...you...you're dead!" said Kenny at last. Elder Rei shook his head. "Obviously not," he said. "I was merely incapacitated." 

Max was the first to break his place and rush at Elder Rei, hugging him tightly. "You're real," he said, looking at Elder Rei with teary eyes. The older Rei smiled slightly. "Hey, Maxie. I missed you," he said quietly. Kenny was next. "I missed you too," added Elder Rei, as Kenny hugged him. 

"You were killed! This is impossible!" exclaimed Boris angrily. Elder Rei separated from his friends to glare angrily at Boris. "You would like to think so, wouldn't you? You murderer!" he spat, disgusted. "You deserve to die for what you did!" 

"What?" asked Max. "Boris was behind the hospital explosion. It was no terrorist attack–well, I guess Biovolt could be considered a terrorist," said Elder Rei, as both Tyson and Kai paled. 

"You told me it was a terrorist attack," said Kai icily as he spoke for the first time, turning his cold gaze on Boris. "He has no proof!" exclaimed Boris, before a neat red hole appeared in his head and he fell to the ground. "Rei's word is worth more than any proof he could have," said Tyson, throwing down his still-smoking gun before walking over to Elder Rei. 

"How..." he began, trailing off.  He had missed Rei desperately.  "A lot of hard work," replied Elder Rei wryly.  "Tyson...you have to let whatever's bothering you go. It's been ten years.  Listen to my younger self.  Look at all the people you've separated.  Look at Enrique and Johnny...they're on opposing sides. Same with Mariah and Kevin.  They all used to be best friends...you can't let what happened get to you. I *know*. I know what happened, and I know that it was wrong for Kai to do what he did, but it was also your fault, and you know it.  The Tyson I knew...he took responsibility.  He valued friendship above *everything*, especially personal grudges.  You've gotta let it go." 

Tyson shook his head, the words that had been repeated to him so many times finally sinking in. "I...don't know...how. Not anymore," he said quietly, speaking the honest truth. "It's been such a long time..." 

"You can start by giving me a hug and telling me how much you missed me," said Elder Rei, tone teasing. Tyson hugged him tightly, his eyes watering. "You have no idea...how much I've missed you, my friend," he said softly, shutting his eyes tightly. 

Rei sighed in relief as he watched his future self and Tyson hug. The tension suddenly seemed to dissipate from the area, as he spotted Enrique and Johnny rush over to Robert, and Mariah and Kevin rush over to Li. The All Stars raced over to Emily, and he also saw Bryan walking over to the Demolition Boys. 

The rest of the soldiers seemed to realize that there would be no fighting that day, and so backed off, weapons going down. 

Tyson let go of Elder Rei at last, and backed away, allowing him to walk over to Kai. "Hey," said Elder Rei simply, looking at him. Kai fell to his knees, an unexpected reaction. "You're...alive," he murmured disbelievingly. "We already covered this, Kai," said Elder Rei teasingly, kneeling down to face him. Kai reached a hand out to him and Elder Rei took it, pulling Kai forward so his head rested on Elder Rei's shoulder. Kai shut his eyes. "I...missed you," he admitted softly. 

"I missed you too," replied Elder Rei, smiling at him. He was surprised to find dampness on his shirt as Kai buried his head in his shoulder, but he just smiled a little more and held Kai closer. 

Tyson saw this, but his demons had been killed and he was now just thankful that Rei was alive and well, both of them. He turned to the younger version of his friend. "I'm sorry about what I said about you. You do matter, whether you have Drigger or not," he said sincerely. 

Rei smiled at him and hugged him, much to his surprise. But Tyson just smiled and hugged back a little. Then he turned to Max and Kenny. "I owe you two the biggest apology. I abused our friendship and I hurt you both...I guess it took a huge wake up call to get me to realize it," he said quietly, eyes downcast. Max eyed him for a moment before breaking out into a grin. "We'll always forgive you as long as you always come back," he said, hugging Tyson. Kenny was next. "Even if you were an asshole," added the super-genius. 

Rei smiled slightly as the trio reunited. People had sensed that the war was finally coming to an end, and he saw soldiers of both sides mixing and mingling. 

He walked quietly over to his older self and the older Kai, noting that they seemed much happier in each other's arms. The harshness that his other self had exuded had disappeared, and the aloofness and apathy that had clouded Kai's eyes was gone, leaving only relief and a hint of joy. 

"It's time for me to go," he stated, looking at himself. "It is. I'm going to snap the link keeping you here. You can go back to your time and change things," said Elder Rei, as he and Kai stood. 

"But you all ended up okay. Are you sure you want me to stop this chain of events?" asked Rei. "God, yes," said Kai, speaking up. "I don't know exactly what's going on, but there are so many things I would take back if I could. All the people lost...if you can change things, do it." 

Elder Rei smiled at him, their hands entwined. "You'll see," he said simply, before turning to his younger self. "Change things," he said, nodding his head. "Don't worry about us. I'm you. Kai is your Kai; it's just that different things have changed us all. You won't regret it, I promise you." 

Rei thought about this. "I'll do my best," he promised. His elder self hugged him. "Do not fear telling Kai how you feel. It's either that or wait ten long years," he said, whispering. "And remember everything I've told you." 

"How will I know that this wasn't a dream?" asked Rei. Elder Rei pointed to the gun clipped to Rei's belt. "Hang onto that. When you get back, if you change things it will disappear. If it doesn't, you have failed. That technology was invented just a few months ago." Rei nodded. "Sorry. This is going to hurt us both," said Elder Rei. Rei smirked slightly. "S'okay. I think I'm ready," he replied, taking one last look around. "And if this doesn't work...Good luck." "You too," replied Elder Rei. "Drigger!" he summoned.

Rei was happy to see that his bit beast hadn't changed at all. "Drigger!" he called, summoning his own bit beast. The identical tigers had a glowing green link between them. They roared, and the link snapped. The last thing Rei saw before he blacked out was his older self smiling at him. 

It was like being plunged into ice cold water, and held underneath until you couldn't bear it anymore. Rei gasped for breath as he jolted upright, heart monitor beeping wildly. 

He panted and tried to regain his wits, but before he could he felt a hand on his back, supporting him. "Rei!?" That was Kai's voice...and not the older Kai's, either. His vision cleared and he saw a seventeen-year-old Kai looking at him, eyes wild with concern and worry. And Rei saw what his other self had said would be there. "Kai," he said, suddenly very happy to be alive and with his captain. He hugged Kai tightly, mindless of his I.V.s.

Kai silently thanked whatever higher power there was and hugged Rei back gently, careful of his ribs. "Rei...are you okay?" he asked. "Yeah, why?" asked Rei, blinked at him as he pulled away. "...Your heart monitor. It went flat," said Kai quietly, the past few seconds flashing by him. "I thought you were dead." Rei shook his head, leaning on Kai. "No...I...I don't know," he replied at last, feeling the weight of the gun in his hand and deciding not to tell Kai anything at the moment. 

"You're okay, aren't you?" asked Kai, sounding uncharacteristically hesitant. "I feel fine," assured Rei. Kai stood. "I'm going to go get a doctor to make sure," he said, his usual shield beginning to come up as he realized what a fool he had just made of himself. 

Rei panicked for a split second. I might never get the chance to tell him how I feel, he thought, his elder self flashing though his mind. "Wait!" he exclaimed. Kai turned back toward him. "I...um...well," stuttered Rei. He saw Kai shrugging and turning to leave again when he blurted out, "I like you!" 

Kai whipped around, eyes wide and surprised. Rei flushed, his gaze downcast. "I have...for awhile...I just never got the nerve to tell you. It's cool if you don't feel the same way, but I...mmph." His last words were muffled as Kai kissed him gently before pulling away. "I don't trust you not to give me another near-heart-attack," said Kai, turning back. "I'll go get a doctor...I'll be right back." He flashed Rei a slight smile and headed out. 

Rei nearly melted, smiling. That was Kai's way of saying he liked him too. The future me was right...it was definitely worth it, he thought, his hand brushing across his lips. Definitely. 

Kai returned a few minutes later, a doctor in tow, and quietly sat at Rei's bedside as the golden-eyed blader was checked over. "I don't understand...there was nothing that should've caused him to relapse like this," said the doctor, frowning. "I'm afraid you're going to have to be in here for another few days just in case." Rei sighed. "Of course," he said, as the doctor left. 

Kai smirked slightly at him. "Getting sick of hospitals?" he asked, his hand finding its way to Rei's. Rei took it gladly and replied, "Definitely."  "Then you shouldn't get hurt so often," said Kai, his tone teasing though his demeanor normal. Rei huffed. "Thanks, Kai," he said, yawning. Then the other part of the future occurred to him, and he asked, "I know...it's kinda stupid, but would you stay here with me? I...don't like being alone." 

Kai blinked at him. "If you want me to. Wouldn't you rather have one of the others, or Mariah?" he asked. Rei shook his head. "No. You," he replied, yawning. Kai shrugged. "I'll stay," he promised, brushing a few stray locks of hair out of Rei's face. "You sleep." Rei nodded, yawning again before drifting off. He had four days to plan. 

He woke up to see the moonlight shining in on his window.  Kai was asleep, his head and arms on the bed.  Rei smiled down at him and sighed, thinking.  How am I supposed to warn everyone about Boris's attack?  If I could get Kai to believe me, he could warn people, or at least stop Boris...but I can't exactly tell him that I traveled to the future.  He decided that he would just have to try.  The issue was too important for Kai not to believe him.

Kai watched Rei brood for three straight hours the next morning before finally asking, "What's wrong?" "Nothing," replied Rei, still unsure. "You're lying," replied Kai, blunt as ever. "I just...you're never going to believe me," said Rei frankly. 

"Try me," replied Kai. "Boris is going to blow up the hospital in two days," said Rei, looking straight at him. Kai nearly fell over. "What?!" he asked, regaining his composure. "Boris is going to plant explosives in the hospital tomorrow night, and detonate them the next morning," repeated Rei. 

"Rei...are you serious?" asked Kai, looking at him. Rei nodded. "Very," he replied grimly. To his shock Kai didn't call a mental institution right away. "How do you know?" asked Kai. Rei decided to tell the next closest thing to the truth. "Drigger showed me," he responded, thanking God for his lying abilities. He felt bad about it–he hated lying–but it was necessary this time. 

"Drigger showed you?" questioned Kai. Getting visions through one's bit beast, though rare, was not unheard of. "Yes," replied Rei, looking at him straight on. "We've got to do something." 

The next night, Rei was alone in his room. The doctors had given him some heavy painkillers, and he was drifting off. He was to the brink of drifting off when he heard noises. He saw Boris's head looking into his room, and then saw him step fully into the room. 

"This one's just for you, Kon," sneered Boris, smirking at Rei's still body before attaching the last explosive to the wall and heading out. 

The next morning at nine, the hospital exploded.  But no one died.  The previous day, every single patient had been quietly transferred to the next nearest hospital, except for a few patients on each floor, who remained to fool Boris into thinking that no one suspected a thing.  Rei was one of them.  Kai had orchestrated the whole set up using Voltaire's money, which he had inherited.  The Bladebreakers and any teams still in Russia transported the last few patients as soon as Boris left.  Kai testified against Boris, as he had been hiding under Rei's bed when Boris had come in that night. 

"How did you know?" asked Tyson incredulously, as Rei leaned against Kai, who flushed slightly before placing an arm around him. There had been no point in hiding their relationship. "Drigger told me," replied Rei, silently thanking his future self. He had watched that morning as the gun faded away to nothing. The future–the one he had seen–was no more, and he hoped for a better and brighter one. 

"That's really awesome, Drigger warning you like that. I'm so glad he did", said Max, hugging him from his other side. "We could've lost you otherwise." Rei smiled lightly at him. "Why don't you two catch a movie or something?" he suggested, looking at Tyson and Max. "Kenny's working on his laptop, I can't go out yet, and I don't think Kai wants to do anything." Max flushed slightly, smiling gratefully at him. Tyson blinked, but nodded, getting into the idea. "Sounds good. Let's go, Maxie!" he exclaimed, pulling his best friend out the door. 

"...Why do I get the feeling that you know more than you let on?" questioned Kai suspiciously. "Max told me he liked Tyson about a week ago," countered Rei, curling into his captain. Kai decided just to drop it. Rei had his own reasons for what he did, and Kai trusted him implicitly. And that was all that really mattered at the moment. 

All done. My epic two-part…thing…is finished. I don't think there will be a sequel…everything is pretty much resolved. I tried my best to deal with the whole concept of time traveling. As always, any reviews and comments are greatly appreciated!


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